Raven One - [2]

APM — All Pilots Meeting

ARG — Amphibious Ready Group

ATFLIR — Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infra-Red. IR targeting sensor placed on fuselage mounted missile station.

Bandit — confirmed enemy airborne contact; also known as ‘“hostile.”

Bingo — emergency fuel state divert from ship to shore base

Bogey unknown airborne contact

Bolter — tailhook flies past or skips over arresting wires, requiring a go-around for another attempt.

BRA — Bearing, Range, Altitude

CAG — Carrier Air Wing Commander; formerly Commander, Air Group

CAOC — Combined Air Operations Center

CAP — Combat Air Patrol

CAS — Close Air Support

Cat — catapult

CATM — Captive Air Training Missile

CATCC — Carrier Air Traffic Control Center

CENTCOM — U.S. Central Command

Charlie — come down and land now. “Signal Charlie”

Cherubs — altitude in hundreds of feet. “Cherubs three” = 300 feet

CIWS — Close-in Weapons System; surface ship 20mm gun primarily for terminal airborne threats

CO — Commanding Officer; in aviation squadrons known as “skipper;” on ships, “Captain.”

COD — Carrier On-Board Delivery. The C-2 Greyhound logistics aircraft is known as “the COD.”

Commodore — functional wing commander, shore based; supplies aircraft, pilots and maintenance personnel to air wings as required.

CPA — Closest Point of Approach

CVIC — Aircraft Carrier Intelligence Center

CVW — Carrier Air Wing

DCAG — Deputy Carrier Air Wing Commander

Delta — hold, delay. “Delta six” means delay 6 minutes

Dhow — small boat typical of southwest Asia region

Flag officer — admirals or generals… but typically a navy term for admiral

FLIR — Forward Looking Infra-Red. Targeting pod that detects heat contrasts. Aka ATFLIR.

Fox — radio call associated with firing of air-to-air missile with type. “Fox-2” = Sidewinder.

Fragged — as planned or previously assigned. “Proceed as fragged.”

g — the force of gravity. “4 g’s” is four times the force of gravity.

GCC — Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates)

GOO — Gulf of Oman

GPS — Global Positioning System

Gunner — squadron ordnance officer; typically a Chief Warrant Officer specially trained in weapons handling and loading.

HARM — High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (AGM-88) used to home in on radar energy

Hawkeye — popular name for E-2C Early Warning aircraft, also known as the Hummer

Helo — helicopter

Hornet — popular name for FA-18C Strike Fighter

HS — Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron

HUD — Head-Up Display. Glass display in front of FA-18 pilot that depicts aircraft and weapons delivery information.

IED — Improvised Explosive Device

IP — Initial Point

IRGC — Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

IRIAF — Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

JDAM — Joint Direct Attack Munition — GPS guidance kit placed on a general purpose bomb body. Also known as GBU (Guided Bomb Unit).

JO — Junior Officer — lieutenant (O-3) and below

JTAC — Joint Tactical Air Controller (formerly FAC — Forward Air Controller)

Knot — nautical mile per hour. One nautical mile is 2,000 yards or 6,000 feet.

LEX — Leading Edge Extension. Narrow part of FA-18 wing leading to the nose of the aircraft.

LGB — Laser Guided Bomb — laser guidance kit placed on a general purpose bomb body. Also known as GBU (Guided Bomb Unit).

LSO — Landing Signal Officer, also known as “Paddles.”

Marshal — designated holding airspace prior to landing; also name of landing sequence controller.

Maverick — popular name for AGM-65 infra-red or laser guided air-to-ground missile

Military — Military Rated Thrust, the maximum engine power without selecting afterburner.

Mother — radio reference for the aircraft carrier

MOVLAS — Manually Operated Visual Landing Aid System — LSO depiction of pilot position on glideslope — typically used for pitching deck operations

NAVCENT — Central Command (CENTCOM) Naval component commander… three-star flag officer

NFO — Naval Flight Officer

Ninety-Nine — radio broadcast call used to gain attention; i.e. “listen up”

Nugget — first cruise pilot

NVGs — Night Vision Goggles

OPSO — Operations Officer

Plug — take fuel from tanker

Prowler — popular name for EA-6B Electronic Warfare Attack aircraft

RAS — Refueling at Sea, also known as Underway Replenishment, or UNREP

RWR — Radar Warning Receiver. Cockpit display of threat radars.

Rocket One — another term for Skipper in a tailhook squadron. Rocket Two is the XO, and so forth down to Rocket Last, the most junior pilot. A variation is the using the squadron callsign, such as Raven One.

ROE — Rules of Engagement

RPG — Rocket Propelled Grenade

SAM — Surface-to-air missile

SAR — Search and Rescue (CSAR is Combat Search and Rescue)

Seahawk — popular name for MH-60 series multi-mission helicopter

Sidewinder — popular name for AIM-9 infrared heat seeking air-to-air missile

SINS — Shipboard Inertial Navigation System

Strike — tactical airspace controller/coordinator in vicinity of ship

SUCAP — Surface Combat Air Patrol

Super Hornet — popular name for upgraded FA-18E/F single seat or two-place Strike Fighter with increased range and payload; also known as “Rhino”

Texaco — nickname for a tanker aircraft, typically S-3B